Agarwaen
by NethwenThePirate
Summary: Bragolan has lost his entire family in five short years. He never expected his life in Lorien to change at all from the miserable pace that was set for him as a guard for the Lady. But soon he discovers his lost brother may not be dead.
1. Dark Past

_I have finally decided to continue and complete this story. I had come to be disgusted with the way I wrote it out originally, and am now doing a complete makeover. Please enjoy and leave your reviews._

Chapter 1

Prologue:

Lindar and Bragolan walked to the glade. A battle was about to commence between the Elves and the Orcs. Some of the scouts had spotted the orcs and discovered more were on their way.

"I have a feeling this will be a bloody battle." Bragolan said with a sigh.

Lindar folded his arms across his chest. "Black blood, perhaps." He mused. His dark brown eyes looked around at the other warriors. Each stood calm, seeming to be in their own thoughts.

Bragolan looked at Lindar. "I will protect you, my brother. Just be sure to stay near me." He said firmly.

Lindar glanced at him. "I am capable of taking care of myself, but your words are a good comfort. Thank you." He said with a nod.

"Yrch!" An Elven voiced cried from a tree branch.

Suddenly the captain, Haldir, called for all the elves to prepare themselves. Bows bent in preparation and swords were drawn.

"Ready! Attack!" Haldir shouted.

Suddenly a volley of arrows rushed over the heads of the elves and struck the orcs as they tried to cross the border. As the second wave of orcs continued to run up toward them, they got their swords and slashed through the line of orcs. Their black blood was splattered across the golden leaves that covered the forest floor.

Bragolan moved his blade swiftly, he stood firmly beside his father. Both of them struck down the orcs with great finesse. Lindar began by fighting next to his brother and father, but then he found himself moving farther away as he tried to attack the orcs that seemed to swarm around the younger fighters. Lindar was young as well, though he had come of age for Elves.

Suddenly an Elf cried out that Orcs were not their only problem. Easterlings had followed these Orcs as well, or had been sent with them.

Bragolan frowned and continued to cut his way through the orcs. He didn't like the fact that he was so far away from his brother. He promised to protect him, after all.

Suddenly he heard a voice cry out for help. His head turned quickly and he saw his brother being carried away by the Easterlings. He was struggling, but it seemed that he lost his weapon and his arm was bleeding.

"Lindar!" Bragolan cried. He tried to cut his way through the crowd of orcs, but there was no way he could reach him in time.

"Ada! Bragolan! Help me! Please!" Lindar cried as loud as he could. But it was to no avail.

Battle's End

Bragolan walked among the bodies of the wounded and the dead. Hardly any Elves had fallen to the blade, but quite a few had actually gone missing. Like Lindar.

Bragolan bowed his head sadly. What did those Easterlings have in mind? Probably slavery.

His father came up behind him and put a hand on Bragolan's shoulder. His father's hand was crusted with black blood, he noticed. "Are you well, Ada?" Bragolan asked softly.

"I was not hurt in the battle." He said. Then he looked solemn. "Lindar is gone, isn't he?"

Bragolan bowed his head again. "The Easterlings…didn't you hear his cries, father?" He asked sadly.

"I did, my son. But I couldn't get to him either. He is not the only one that has gone missing." He explained. "May the Valar protect all who were lost today…and by the grace of Eru may they be brought back to us."

"I wish there was more that we could do…other than pray." He whispered.

"The Valar will heed our prayers and protect them. And if it is their fate to return to us, be sure that they will." He said.

"Is that all you can say about this, father? You just lost your youngest son…and all you can say is that you hope he returns? We should go after them!" Bragolan exclaimed.

His father sighed. "And what would that accomplish, Bragolan? We might all end up dead. We have not the numbers to run after them. Orcs might still be accompanying them as well. It's true that they retreated, but they still might have other friends nearby. This is not a wise thought, my son. This is in the Valar's hands." He said.

Bragolan knew that his father was right. All they could do was wait. But waiting seemed so futile. Lindar might be dying as they speak. Or dead. It was a horrible thought, but he couldn't stop himself from thinking it. He loved his little brother so much. He'd failed to protect him.

"Let us return home. Your mother needs to know."

Five Years Later

Bragolan was sitting on a talan watching the sky between the golden leaves. The light that filtered in was soft and glowed faintly. Bragolan sighed and stretched out. He'd been on guard duty most of the day, but it had been such a peaceful day that he was tired. He hadn't rested well since yesterday. Yesterday had been the day that five years ago he lost his younger brother, Lindar. He always had nightmares of that day when it came around every year.

Bragolan had never stopped praying to the Valar for his safe return, but nothing had happened. In fact, things had gotten worse since he was lost. His father died during a battle two years ago, and his mother had left for the West. Now he was completely alone.

"Bragolan! You should not be sleeping like this." A voice chided.

Bragolan looked over at his friend, Veryo. "I'm not sleeping. I'm just laying down for a moment." He said as he sat up again.

Veryo sat down, crossing his legs as he did. "You have sleepless nights again, mellon." He said softly.

Bragolan looked down. Veryo reached over and put his hand on Bragolan's shoulder. "My friend, I know the loss was a terrible one, but your life is hardly over. You must learn to move on, as harsh as it sounds. You have an eternity before you." He said.

"I feel guilty, Veryo. Every time I close my eyes I can see him being dragged away and I can hear him begging for help. Pleading…the pain and fright in his voice." Bragolan bowed his head. "I let him down."

Veryo sighed. "I understand how you feel, Bragolan. I lost good friends in my lifetime too. I lost friends I could call my brothers. But he would not want you to weep any longer, I think." He said.

Bragolan looked up at Veryo. "What if he's still alive and suffering?" He asked softly.

Veryo blinked. He looked as if he hadn't expected such a question to be asked. "Bragolan…the likely hood of him surviving for so long is very low. Please don't get your hopes up." He whispered.

Bragolan nodded. "I know, I know." He said.

Suddenly they heard a whisper coming from another tree. An alert. A few elves had just past the borders. She-elves, actually. Bragolan stood. "I'll see who it is." He said. Then he jumped down from the tree.

When he landed he was met with the three maidens. One was seeming to be leading the group, and she was on foot leading her horse. She had green eyes and dark hair. The other, who seemed to be the oldest, was fair haired with grey eyes, and then the third looked to be the youngest, for her eyes were filled with a youthful light. She had crimson hair, and blue eyes.

Bragolan bowed politely. "Maidens, why do you wish to pass through?" He asked.

"We've only come to rest, sir. We've had a long journey, and need to stop here on our way to Imladris." The maiden on foot stated.

Bragolan folded his arms across his chest. "How long will you stay here?"

"Only for the night." She replied.

"Then I am certain the Lady will welcome you. Please, follow me." Bragolan said with a nod. Then he began leading them deeper into the forest.


	2. Lost One Is Found

_Here is the next chapter. Please leave your reviews!_

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_'One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure.'_

**~William Feather**

Chapter 2

After they spoke with the Lady Galadriel, Bragolan led them down to the glade of trees where they could rest for the night. "Make yourselves comfortable, maidens." He said as he gestured toward the trees.

The youngest maiden rushed toward the tree, smiling and looking absolutely delighted. "Herentari! Be careful!" The eldest, Eldalin, called as she followed after her.

Aradiel, the maiden that seemed to be leading them, stayed beside Bragolan. "Thank you for guiding us here, guard." She said with a nod.

"Call me Bragolan." He replied.

"Ah, well. Thank you." She said again.

"You're welcome, my lady. Now, if it will be alright, I must return to my post." He said as he took a step away.

"Oh, wait!" Aradiel said as she reached over to touch his arm. "I wanted to ask you a favor."

Bragolan glanced over his shoulder at her. "A favor?"

"Yes. Well, you see, we must get back to Imladris, but I'm worried about our journey over the Misty Mountains." She began.

"And you want to enlist my help to be sure you make it across?" Bragolan sighed. "My lady, I have much to do here, as it is. I cannot just leave."

"I asked Lady Galadriel about getting some help. She suggested you to us, Bragolan." Aradiel said softly.

Bragolan blinked and sighed. "Oh, I see."

Aradiel was a little confused. "But if you are truly upset at having to travel with us, then I suppose we could find someone else." She said.

Bragolan shook his head. "It's not that, lady. I just wasn't prepared to suddenly leave. However, I would be honored to give you my services as a guard." He said with a bow.

Aradiel smiled. "Thank you very much, sir. We will see you in the morning, then." She said.

Bragolan nodded and walked away, disappearing from view as he slipped between the trees. His silver garb helped him to blend in with the surroundings, since the trees were silvery as well.

As he walked he thought about this new arrangement. He hadn't left Lothlorien for years. In fact, the only time he had left was to help the Mirkwood Elves when they were being bombarded by spider and goblin attacks. He loved Lorien, so why would he leave it?

This was the last place he'd seen his family. This was the last place they'd been all together and happy. Bragolan sighed and then came to the tree where he was supposed to stay and guard for the remainder of the night. He climbed up quickly and saw Veryo was sitting there silently.

"I hear you are leaving." Veryo said.

"News travels fast in these trees." Bragolan commented as he sat down next to his friend.

Veryo smiled. "It does indeed. " He agreed. "So, where are you going?"

"Imladris, apparently." He replied.

"It will be good for to get some rest. Perhaps your mind will be at ease there." Veryo said.

Bragolan sighed. "Probably not, but it's a nice thought." He said with a small smile.

Veryo shook his head. "You need to relax, Bragolan. I'm serious about this. You are still a fairly young elf, and you have eternity before you. Are you going to live like this forever?" He asked.

Bragolan shrugged. "Perhaps not. But it still feels like a wound that continues to be ripped open each time this day rolls around. I just cannot forgive myself for what happened." He said sadly.

Veryo sighed. "Forgiveness is a difficult thing. Especially when it's yourself you have to forgive." He said as he looked directly at Bragolan. "But it's the only way you'll be able to move on."

Bragolan nodded slowly. "I know what you're saying is right. I do need to forgive myself. Perhaps I will someday." He said as he laid down.

Veryo sighed, but didn't speak anymore. Silence closed in around them and eventually Bragolan fell asleep while Veryo remained on guard.

Next Day

Bragolan met with the maidens later that day. Their horses were all set to go, and his horse joined the party as well.

"I hope you all slept well." Bragolan said as he mounted his horse.

Aradiel smiled and nodded. "Indeed we did, Bragolan." She said.

Soon they were all on their horses and riding out of Lorien at relaxed pace. Bragolan paused as they left the borders behind and looked over his shoulder. Herentari noticed this and slowed her horse. "Bragolan, are you alright?" She asked softly.

Bragolan was brought out of his thoughts and looked at Herentari. "I'm fine, thank you." He said. Then he kicked his horse to a trot to catch up with them. Soon they were on their way at a steady pace. They wanted to at least reach the base of the Misty Mountains before night fell.

--

When the moon was highest in the night sky they stopped to rest. "We should be starting our journey through the Misty Mountains tomorrow morning." Aradiel said with a smile.

"Well, that's good." Eldalin said. She was tending to a fire and trying to cook them something simple to eat.

Bragolan sat down. He was pleased with their progress as well, but didn't feel like saying anything about it. He had never been through the Misty Mountains and he wasn't sure he was going to enjoy the trip. He'd heard a lot of bad things about it.

Herentari smiled and sat down next to Bragolan. "Thank you for accompanying us." She said politely.

Bragolan nodded. "It's alright."

"You must be a very good guard, hm?" She said. Then she smiled. "I'm Eldalin's apprentice. She's going to teach me all about healing."

"A very commendable job, Herentari." Bragolan said with a nod.

"I love helping people." She said with a giggle.

"Herentari! Go out and pick some herbs. We're low on them from our journey here." Eldalin called.

Herentari looked up. "Oh! Yes, Eldalin!" She said as she quickly got to her feet. She smiled back at Bragolan. "Sorry to leave so suddenly. I'll be back shortly." And with that she walked off.

Bragolan looked around. He was going to be on guard duty tonight, since that was what he'd been asked to accompany them for. Aradiel and Eldalin began speaking to themselves in the Elvish tongue. Bragolan caught a few words, but they spoke in hushed tones. Something about the danger lurking and how Orcs and even the wicked men were beginning to come closer to the once well protected lands.

Bragolan sighed. Mordor was always in some kind of motion, but it seemed like there had been more trouble than normal of late. Especially since the attacks on Lorien five years ago.

Suddenly a scream pierced the night sky. Bragolan was on his feet and seconds and his sword sparkled under the moon and stars as it was suddenly unsheathed.

He took off in the direction of the scream, knowing it had to be Herentari. Eldalin and Aradiel followed. Aradiel was armed with her own sword, and Eldalin was armed with her herbs only. But it was all she needed.

Then Bragolan suddenly came into a clearing a saw a dark cloaked figure standing before Herentari and something shone. A dagger had pierced Herentari.

Bragolan rushed toward this enemy, but he turned, dropping the dagger, and fled deeper into the forest. "Take care of Herentari!" He shouted. He didn't even stop, he continued to charge after this man.

He jumped over a fallen log and then saw the man was closer. He seemed to be slowing down. Bragolan rushed towards him and grabbed the man's wrist and turned him around swiftly to try and see who this was. His blade came to lay across the man's neck. "If you move, I will not even hesitate to remove your head from your shoulders." He said angrily.

The man cowered, but Bragolan saw dark eyes beneath the shadow of the hood. Then he fell to his knees and cried out. "Please! I had to kill her! I had to!"

Bragolan's eyes widened. That voice, though it was pained, he knew it. He knew that voice. He knelt down and pulled the hood back. A mass of black hair fell around the man's shoulders, but away from his ears. They were pointed.

Bragolan's heart began to pound and he grabbed the man's shoulder to turn him around. He felt the man's muscle tense, as if with pain, and he more gently turned him over. His eyes began to water with tears. This frightened young man was his lost brother. Lindar.


	3. Bloody Battlefield

_Please leave your reviews and enjoy the story!_

Chapter 3

"Lindar?" Bragolan said softly. Lindar flinched and tried to run, but Bragolan held his arm. "Wait! It's me, your brother!"

Lindar's wild eyes seemed to change quickly to realization. "B-Bragolan?" He asked softly and slowly. As if he was testing out the words on his tongue.

Bragolan smiled and nodded. "Yes! That's me, my dear brother." He said. Then suddenly an arrow flew past him and hit Lindar in the arm. He let out a howl of pain and started to run away in fear. "Lindar!" He called. Then he looked over his shoulder and saw Eldalin standing there, holding her bow and looking with disgust at the retreating back of the one who'd harmed Herentari.

"Eldalin, why did you do that!?" Bragolan shouted.

Eldalin frowned. "That man hurt Herentari, my charge. He got what he deserved." She stated firmly.

"That man is my brother!" He cried.

"Your brother tried to kill Herentari? That's even worse!" Eldalin exclaimed.

Bragolan froze as realization struck him. His brother tried to kill that young girl. "Please…let him explain himself." He begged softly.

Eldalin frowned at him. Her eyes seemed to be looking through him. But then finally she looked away and sighed. "Fine, but hurry. We need to get Herentari some help." She said as she turned around.

"Will she be okay during the journey through the Carahdras?" He asked.

"We can't make that journey with her injured. We need to go somewhere we can rest and be safe. I was thinking Mirkwood." Eldalin explained.

Bragolan nodded, then without another word he took off after Lindar. He had to find him and help him. His brother seemed so afraid. Bragolan never thought he would come to this, but he couldn't even imagine the torture his brother had endured.

Bragolan slowed his steps as he saw Lindar on the ground. The arrow was lying next to him, it seemed he'd already torn it out of his arm. His arm was bleeding badly, though, and it seemed he had no way to staunch the flow.

Bragolan walked over, making sure that Lindar could hear him, because he didn't want to frighten him again. "Let me help you."

Lindar hugged his arm. "No…leave me be." He said.

Bragolan sighed. "I'm not leaving you here after taking such a long time to find you, brother. I want to help you, and I want to be your brother again. I want to make up for the mistake of leaving you behind." He said.

Lindar looked up at him. "But they'll come after me." He said.

"The Easterlings?" Bragolan asked. Then he shook his head. "I won't let them find you."

Lindar stood up, his legs were a little shaky. "Why would you do that for me?" He asked.

"Because, though I know what you just did was very wrong, I also know you are my brother. Somewhere deep down. I just need to find the old Lindar." He said with a kind smile.

Lindar looked at Bragolan with surprise. No one had talked to him like that for five whole years. Bragolan put his hand gently on Lindar's shoulder. "Will you come with me?" He asked.

Lindar nodded. He knew that he would be safer with Bragolan, and he hoped he would not cause them trouble. "Thank you…Bragolan." He said.

He nodded and led Lindar back to the clearing where he'd struck Herentari. She was sitting down, leaning back against a tree. Her wound was wrapped by some bandages, but she didn't look too well.

Bragolan walked over to Herentari and knelt down on one knee. "How are you feeling?" He asked softly.

Herentari sighed. "It hurts very much, Bragolan." She said softly. Then she looked up at Lindar sadly. "Why did he hurt me?"

"I'm sorry…I had to." Lindar said.

Aradiel frowned. "That doesn't explain much." She said. She sounded concerned, and looked very cautious.

"They would have beaten me again if I didn't bring him a dead Elf." He said softly.

Eldalin glared at him. "I'd rather get a beating than kill an innocent Elf. Especially one that hasn't even reached adult hood!" She snapped.

Lindar looked down. "I don't…expect you to understand." He said.

Bragolan looked up at the two maidens. "I'm sure he's been through much worse than we realize." He said.

"That doesn't change what he's done, Bragolan." Aradiel said softly.

"I know that, but we need to give him a chance." Bragolan said. He stood, feeling desperate to save his brother's life.

Eldalin approached Lindar. She could tell by the way he stood that he was uncomfortable even standing. She could see scars on his wrists, and it looked red and swollen. "Turn around." She said firmly.

Lindar hesitated, and Bragolan quickly stood and walked to his brother. "Eldalin, just leave him alone. He's just escaped from a terrible situation." He said.

Eldalin frowned at him. "He's still in a terrible situation, if you ask me, Bragolan." She said. Then she walked around, coming behind him, and lifted his shirt. Lindar hissed even with that motion.

Eldalin's eyes widened as she saw the bruises and broken skin. He had scars over scars, and his back was bright red. It looked like a bloody battle field.

Eldalin lowered his shirt again, a solemn look on her face. "I see now what you mean, Lindar. I still have not forgiven you for what you did to Herentari, but perhaps I can see there was some motivation for such an act." She said as she stepped back toward her young charge. "Now, we will make our way to Mirkwood. I expect you to keep an eye on Lindar, Bragolan."

Aradiel smiled slightly. "I'll help you, Bragolan." She said.

Bragolan nodded a thanks, then looked at Lindar. "You can ride on my horse. Mount up, everyone." He said. Then he walked toward his horse and took the reigns. He whispered softly to him, and the horse obliged to carry more than one rider. Bragolan helped Lindar onto his horse's back. Lindar winced as he sat down, and then he suddenly just slumped forward. Bragolan's eyes widened and he caught his brother before he tumbled back off the horse.

Aradiel saw this and trotted her horse toward Bragolan. "What's going on? Is he alright?" She asked. She sounded worried.

Bragolan sighed and mounted behind Lindar, holding him in place. "I think he's just exhausted and in pain. Let's hurry on our way." He said.


End file.
